Personal carbon trading recommended
In this Report, Personal Carbon Trading'
(HC 565), the Environmental Audit Committee examines the personal carbon trading system.
Traditional census form 'has had its day'
This report from the Treasury Committee, 'Counting the Population' (HC 183-I), examines the process of counting the population and the problems faced by local authorities in estimating what is a highly mobile population in their areas. A number of these problems became visible during the 2001 Census.
2008/09 Draft Legislative Programme revealed
The aim of publishing the Draft Legislative Programme is to set out the Government's current proposals for legislation - to be considered by Parliament in its next session - for comment and consultation before the final programme is published in the Queen's Speech towards the end of the year.
This Green Paper, 'Preparing Britain for the Future - The Government's Draft Legislative Programme 2008/09' (Cm. 7372), sets out the proposed Bills and other non-legislative actions, organised into four themes that reflect the core direction of the Government.
Improvements to provision for excluded pupils proposed
Around 135,000 pupils a year - mostly of secondary age - spend some time in alternative provision. Roughly one third are placed in pupil referral units, with the remainder in a range of places including further education and the private and voluntary sectors. About half the children are excluded for bad or disruptive behaviour - the rest are in alternative provision for a variety of reasons.
This White Paper, 'Back on Track - A Strategy for Modernising Alternative Provision for Young People' (Cm. 7410), outlines proposals to improve the quality of alternative provision for young people who are permanently excluded from school or are otherwise without a school place.
Supply of rented housing examined
Rented housing accounts for some 30% of Britain's housing stock. The supply of rented housing is a crucial element of the programme of action necessary to achieve the aim of a decent home, at a price people can afford, within a sustainable community.
This Report from the Communities and Local Government Committee, 'The Supply of Rented Housing'
(HC 457-I), examines the quality and quantity of the supply of rented housing in Britain.
'Deep problems' with administration of Scottish elections
On 3 May 2007 combined elections were held in Scotland, electing members to the Scottish Parliament and all 32 of Scotland's local councils. The number of spoilt ballots cast in these elections was unusually high and difficulties with the electronic counting machines led to the count being suspended in some constituencies. The Electoral Commission engaged Ron Gould CM to conduct an independent assessment of the elections.
This Report from the Scottish Affairs Committee, 'Experience of the Scottish Elections' (HC 78), examines the findings of the Gould Report and its recommendations.
National testing system examined
A certain amount of national testing at key points in a child's school career is necessary in order to provide a standardised means of measuring educational attainment. However in recent years the Government has emphasised central control of the education system through testing, associated targets, and performance tables.
This Report from the Children, Schools and Families Committee, 'Testing and Assessment'
(HC 169-I), examines the current national testing system.
Taxis for Speaker's wife 'consistent with permitted use'
Mr Mark Wallace - Campaign Director of the Taxpayers' Alliance - submitted a complaint to the Parliamentary Standards Commissioner in which he claimed that the cost of certain taxi journeys undertaken by Mrs. Mary Martin, the wife of Mr Speaker, had been improperly met - through the Speaker's Office - from public funds.
This Report from the Committee on Standards and Privileges, 'Conduct of Mr Speaker'
(HC 559), examines the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standard's decision to dismiss the complaint on the grounds that 'the journeys were consistent with the permitted use of taxis for official business and a reasonable use of public funds'.
EC White Paper on Sport examined
The European Scrutiny Committee referred the European Commission (EC) White Paper on Sport, published on 11 July 2007, to the Culture, Media and Sport Committee for an opinion. The White Paper consists of three policy discussions: on the social value of sport; the economic value of sport; and the organisation of sport.
This Report from the Culture, Media and Sport Committee, 'European Commission White Paper on Sport' (HC 347), examines the content of the White Paper - and sport and EU law - in detail.
Modernising Medical Careers (MMC) programme investigated
The Modernising Medical Careers (MMC) programme of work was established in 2003 to address difficulties in poor training and indifferent career prospects and a new Foundation programme was introduced in 2005, the Specialty Training system was reformed, and the SHO grade scrapped in 2007.
As a result of inadequate preparation during the implementation of the reforms, in 2007 the MMC programme was plunged into crisis.
Structure and governance of euro examined
2008 marks the tenth anniversary of the creation of the European Central Bank (ECB) and the setting of conversion rates between the currencies of the original participating countries of the eurozone. Since then the euro has been introduced in fifteen Member States with negligible transition costs.
This Report, 'The Euro'
(HL 90), examines the structure and governance of the eurozone institutions and developments in the eurozone economy in the past ten years.
Floods of 2007 examined
The floods that occurred across several areas of the country in June and July 2007 were on a scale not seen for sixty years and exposed the vulnerability of the nation's critical infrastructure to flooding.
Two thirds of the summer 2007 flooding was caused by surface water flooding, often after intense heavy rainfall overwhelmed drainage systems and no organisation currently has responsibility for surface water flooding, at either the national or local level.